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Anua vs The Ordinary

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Anua and The Ordinary are distinct skincare houses offering targeted moisturizers, toners, serums, and cleansers designed for specific complexions. The Korean brand features heartleaf, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid to best support oily acne-prone and dry skin, while the Canadian brand utilizes glycerin, squalane, and hyaluronic acid to nourish dry and dry sensitive skin. Ultimately, the former emphasizes botanical-forward formulations for blemishes and redness, whereas the latter focuses on active-driven molecules for barrier health and gentle exfoliation.

Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..

prnewswire.comkedglobal.comtracxn.comv.daum.net

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

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This page compares some of the most popular Anua and The Ordinary products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Anua vs The Ordinary products

People Say

AnuaThe Ordinary
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Dissolved my sebaceous filaments immediately — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
    • “Skin feels super smooth — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “Drink of water for my skin — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Affordable Price and Value Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “scars lightened up quite a bit — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Feels like water, not heavy oil — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
    • “Absorbs quickly without stickiness — Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Sticky or Tacky Finish Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Left such a gross tacky finish that refused to dry. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky finish — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “tacky finish — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Breakouts and Acne Concerns Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “gave me cystic acne — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”

Anua vs The Ordinary routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$192.91 · 96% fitBuy Anua routine · A$238.92 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Anua vs The Ordinary routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$285.78 · 92% fitBuy Anua routine · A$330.29 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Anua vs The Ordinary routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$219.69 · 91% fitBuy Anua routine · A$295.30 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Anua or The Ordinary: which is better?

Both brands offer great options, but The Ordinary is superior for dry, oily, sensitive, mature, and dark spot skin types, while Anua provides exceptional hydration and lightweight toners. Reviewers note that niacinamide helps improve skin brightness and tone for both brands.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

What is the difference between Anua and The Ordinary?

The Ordinary offers superior routine fit for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, skin with dark spots, and dry sensitive skin compared to Anua, while both brands share an equal routine fit for acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin. The Ordinary also performs better for acne-clearing serums and affordability, whereas Anua is better for hydration and moisture, and lightweight and fast-absorbing products.

Anua or The Ordinary for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better choice for dry skin, where Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Anua's High. The Ordinary features a wider selection of intensely nourishing moisturizers and barrier-supporting products specifically tailored to dry skin types.

Anua or The Ordinary: which cleanser is better?

Both Anua and The Ordinary offer effective cleansers, with Lovi giving high fit ratings to options from each brand across various skin types like oily, dry, and sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, Anua or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering affordable and great value serums among the products on this page.

Anua or The Ordinary: which brand is better for hydration and moisture?

Anua is better for hydration and moisture because reviewers note it provides superior hydration and moisture compared to The Ordinary. Hyaluronic acid is a key ingredient across the products on this page, and topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and quality.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Anua or The Ordinary for oily skin?

Both Anua and The Ordinary are a High fit for oily skin on the products on this page, but The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit for this skin type. Niacinamide helps control pigmentation and skin aging, and topical use of panthenol may support skin health.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Anua or The Ordinary for sensitive skin?

Both brands offer solid options for sensitive skin, but Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior and Anua as High. Reviewers note that both product lines are gentle and non-irritating.

Anua or The Ordinary for acne-prone skin?

Both Anua and The Ordinary fit acne-prone skin well, as the products on this page for both brands achieve High fit levels for this skin type. Reviewers note that The Ordinary offers strong acne-clearing serums, while Anua provides gentle, non-irritating toners that help soothe the skin.

Anua or The Ordinary for mature skin?

The Ordinary is better suited for mature skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Anua's High rating.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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